Photograph by: David Moll

Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing in at 217 pounds, Aaron Hyman already strikes an imposing figure both on and off the ice.

The good news for the Calgary Hitmen is that the hulking 16-year-old defenceman is still growing.

“I don’t think I’ve stopped yet,” said Hyman, who survived the first round of cuts on Sunday as the Western Hockey League team’s main training camp opened at Don Hartman NE Sportsplex. “I’m hoping for 6-foot-6.”

Hyman was one of 38 players who advanced from rookie camp to main camp and the Calgarian played well enough to survive Sunday’s cut down from 81 bodies to 62.

“It’s a little reassurance knowing I’m doing my job well and they like what they’re seeing,” said Hyman, whom the Hitmen selected in the third round (49th overall) of the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft. “It makes me feel pretty good, for sure.”

New Hitmen coach Mark French has liked what he has seen so far from Hyman.

“The first thing that stands out is his size,” French said. “The thing I was pleasantly surprised with was his skating and his mobility for a guy his size.”

Hyman patrolled the blueline last season for the Calgary Flames of the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League and also saw action in three games with the Hitmen.

“It really pushes you to that next level,” he said of the opportunity to get a taste of what it’s like to play in the WHL. “It’s important to be able to go against guys that are that much better than you. It’s a good place to see where you stand against them and if you can step in the league as a 16-year-old.”

Forward Adam Tambellini has no doubt that Hyman has what it takes to advance to the next level.

“He’ll be hungry to crack our roster and hopefully bring some size to our back end,” said Tambellini, who led all scorers during Sunday’s training camp scrimmages.

Tambellini had a goal and four assists to lead Team Red to a 6-5 win over Team Grey before also scoring once during a 4-3 loss to Team Black.

Pavel Karnaukov, Calgary’s top pick in the 2014 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, had two goals and an assist as Team White thumped Team Black 8-2. Karnaukov and Radel Fazleev then chipped in with two goals each to lead their squad to a 5-3 win over Team Grey.

Paired with 19-year-old defenceman Marshall Donald, Hyman helped provide stability on the back end for Team White in a pair of victories.

“He’s steady, that’s for sure,” said Donald of Hyman. “He doesn’t make many mistakes. He’s a great partner to have out here.”

Like Hyman, Donald is vying for a coveted spot on the Hitmen lineup.

“I’m excited to be here,” said Donald, who originally accepted a scholarship to attend Northern Michigan University and play for the Wildcats this year before changing his mind. “I think they’re excited to have me, so I’m just going to try to come in and make a difference.”

The Hitmen selected Donald in the third round (66th overall) of the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft and kept tabs on his progress the past three seasons when he played for the Sherwood Park Crusaders of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

“For him, you see a guy who possesses a very good skill set — his skating ability, his shot,” said French, who didn’t know much about Donald before seeing him in action on Sunday. “You can see that he’s a player who’s got some maturity about him.”

Training camp continues on Monday with three more scrimmages at Don Hartman NE Sportsplex before the roster will be trimmed further leading up to the annual Hitmen intra-squad game at the Max Bell Centre on Tuesday night (7 p.m.).

“It’s important to keep making progress to try and get down to a sizable roster obviously with the intra-squad game coming up where we’ve got to get to two teams,” French said. “A lot of the guys that might not be continuing on have done a really good job. Some of them because they’re young, it’s probably time for them to move on and get prepared for their upcoming season.”

One young player who will be moving on is 15-year-old forward Mark Kastelic, Calgary’s top pick (41st overall in the second round) in the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft.

“He’s a guy that jumped out at you with his work ethic and his compete level,” French said.

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